And of course, practice good hand washing, avoid those who are sick, and get vaccinated for COVID-19, the flu, and pneumonia (if of age) for further protection. Cardiovascular exercise is the best way to do that and requires no more than 20 to 30 minutes a day (or some equivalent spread out through the week). “You want to create an aerobic demand,” says personal trainer Gunnar Peterson, CSCS, CPT. “This can be incline walking or even adding a few aerobic moves to your strength [training].” But don’t fret if 20 to 30 minutes a day sounds overwhelming. “Give yourself credit for what you can do,” Peterson says. “Start slowly and incrementally.” Even if that means five minutes between conference calls to walk around the block—it doesn’t have to be all at once. Walking is a great form of cardiovascular exercise, “helping to get to those deeper portions of our lungs,” Dr. Rizzo says. RELATED: Exercise Is Essential for a Strong Immune System—These Health Experts Explain How Movement Can Boost Immunity “With a focus on being intentional with our breathing—inhaling and exhaling for a count of four, or belly breathing—you regain a sense of peace and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety,” says Kelley Green, meditation instructor and mindset coach. “In stressful situations we sometimes forget to breathe.” Here are five different types of breathing exercises to try to help calm your nervous system and exercise your lungs.
